French Rudeness

OK, let me say right off the bat that you will never convince me that the French are rude. Honestly I did not encounter one instance of rudeness. I swear.

I think part of this reputation is because the French are much more formal than Americans. There is a certain protocol and courtesy that must be followed. You would never walk up to someone and ask, "Hey, where's the Eiffel Tower?". You say " Excuse me, can you help me please?" then you ask directions, or whatever you need. You always greet the people in a store when you enter and say goodbye when you leave.

I think if we don't follow this etiquette they see us as rude and are frosty back. I admit that one (at least) one occassion I was a rude American. I'd had a great converstion with the guy at The San Francisco Book Store and had left. When I left there was no one else in the store. I got about half way down the block and thought he might know where an Internet cafe was. So I went back and as I walked in the door started asking my question. There was a woman at the checkout counter and I had obviously interupted them. There was a man about my age who seemed concerned that something was wrong (why else would I barge in like that??) and asked if something was wrong.........or maybe he was making a point...........

I lost count of how many people I asked for directions (I really should have taken a photo of each of them!) and no matter what their English skill, if any, they were unfailingly polite. Often they drew maps for me.

I would hope that if a French person who spoke little English went into a store or stopped people on the street here to ask directions they would be treated as well. I have a mental picture of this person walking into a Wal-Mart.........

I think the general attitude in France (and Europe) is "the good of the many outweighs the good of the one" but too often here I think there is the opposite attitude.